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The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness does not hold us back. Together with love, hope and determination, we transform dreams into reality.

National Federation of the Blind Philosophy:

We believe that blindness can be reduced to a nuisance with proper training. We are the voice of the nation’s blind speaking for ourselves. We advocate for blind and visually impaired persons all over the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

About the NFBI

Our VISION is to create a world where people who are blind share opportunities to lead satisfying and independent lives, equal to those who are not blind. We commit ourselves to improving the lives of blind people in Illinois by living the VALUES of: SECURITY, EQUALITY and OPPORTUNITY assuring comparable choices to pursue our dreams.

Our MISSION as a grass roots “people’s movement” is to work together to advocate for ourselves and to encourage each other to achieve self-determined independence.

The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois demonstrates its commitment through statewide activities, advocating for children and adults of all ages. This includes developing and nurturing strong and informed relationships with both public and private schools and agencies responsible for providing services to the blind; seeking legislative solutions through cooperative ventures with our state representatives; and seeking private funding to support scholarships, work-study grants and internships for promising students. The NFBI Board of Directors also sponsors many low- income members in attending seminars, conventions and legislative events in order to provide mentoring and for them to learn more about possibilities for their futures. In many instances, attendance at such an event is the first time a newly blinded person has met other blind people with rich and interesting stories of success to share.

The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois carries out its work through collaboration and resource sharing with its strong National organization, through meetings and activities of its local chapters and through the education and mentorship activities of its more than 300 members scattered throughout the state. While the organization affirms its grass roots emphasis by reserving its leadership for people who are blind, all people who support our values and aspire to our vision are welcome to join our movement.

KNFB Reader App

Make the print yours!

The KNFB Reader app is a revolutionary tool that you can use, with the touch of a single button, to read virtually any type of printed text, including mail, receipts, class handouts, memos, and many other documents. Accuracy is facilitated by a field-of-view report, automatic page detection, and tilt control. The KNFB Reader is now fully sponsored by the NFB! To learn more about the app and how to download, visit www.nfb.org/knfbreader. You can also learn more at www.knfbreader.com. We are proud to inform you that in addition to the KNFB Reader being available on iOS and Android devices, it is now available on Windows 10 devices. To purchase KNFB Reader, please visit www.nfb.org/knfbreader. You can also learn more at www.knfbreader.com.

Eligible Sprint customers can get a KNFB Reader Enterprise license for free!

Starting November 20, 2017, Sprint customers who purchase a new line of service or eligible upgrade through Sprint Accessibility will receive a free license to download the KNFB Reader Enterprise app on up to two mobile devices.

If you are a new or upgrading Sprint customer, you may be able to get the power to convert printed documents into speech or Braille instantly and accurately at no extra cost!

When you launch the app, enter the username and password from step 3 above, and you’re all set!

Please be sure to download the KNFB Reader Enterprise app, not KNFB Reader for $99.99. The KNFB Reader Enterprise app is listed free in the app stores and can be activated with your free KNFB Reader Enterprise License from Sprint. KNFB Reader Enterprise allows users to enjoy the power of KNFB Reader on multiple devices. Make sure that KNFB Reader Enterprise is the app that you download onto your devices to take advantage of this offer. KNFB Reader Enterprise works on Apple, Android, Windows 10 devices, and Windows 10 laptops and PCs.

You’ll be able to use KNFB Reader Enterprise provided by Sprint. Just download KNFB Reader Enterprise on both devices and use the same username and password. For example, you can download KNFB Reader Enterprise onto your Sprint phone, and also to your Windows 10 laptop. Or onto both your Android phone and Android tablet.

Happy reading from the National Federation of the Blind and Sprint Accessibility!

We Need Your Help! Monitor Uber and Lyft Compliance with Service Animal Agreement

The National Federation of the Blind has created a rideshare testing program to measure Lyft and Uber’s efforts to eliminate driver discrimination against riders with guide dogs or service animals. Recent agreements with these two major ridesharing companies require the National Federation of the Blind to provide feedback, over the next three to five years, on the efforts they have agreed to undertake to prevent discrimination against service animal users.

Here’s where you come in. If you use Uber or Lyft and have a service animal or travel with someone who has a service animal, we need your help. Fill out our online questionnaire after your next Uber or Lyft ride, and as often as you can after that. We would love feedback from regular Uber and Lyft users at least once a month, about both positive and negative experiences.

Extensive information about the program is available in the May issue of the Braille Monitor. You can also visit nfb.org/rideshare for more information, including an extensive FAQ, information on how to report discrimination to Uber and Lyft directly as well as through our questionnaire, and a list of the questions we’ll ask so you can be thinking about them when you take your next ride.

Please share this information with fellow Uber and Lyft users with guide dogs or other service animals.

If you have questions that are not answered by the resources above, contact Valerie Yingling, legal program coordinator, at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, at (410) 659-9314 extension 2440, or vyingling@nfb.org. The NFBI project chair is Leslie Hamric who may be reached at 847-636-1662 or lhamric930@comcast.net.

Thanks in advance for your assistance with this important effort.

Have a Vehicle to Donate?

Help NFB increase Braille Literacy, fight against the payment of subminimum wages, and help visually impaired veterans by going to: https://nfb.org/vehicledonatios

Contact Us

Want to learn more about the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois? Contact us at:

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Latest Facebook Posts

When Stacy Cervenka and her family moved from California to Nebraska, they had the opportunity to live surrounded by students from the training center at the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Here is what she says her sighted children are learning from our blind community. nfb.org/blog/article/3663…

Hey everyone! I am a year 11 student, currently studying at Santa Sabina College and have to design and make a product that will benefit a community. Me and my partner Holly, have decided to design key heads for those who live with any form of vision impairment. These key heads will fit over the head of a key, and been uniquely designed so the key can be easily identified for any specific lock. However, this design is useless if it will not benefit those you struggle to find their keys, so any response or feedback is highly appreciated. This surgery should only take 5 minutes of your time.